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The Religions of Sorland
(INCOMPLETE) The Religions of Sorland play a major role in Sorland's politics.They can make or break a hose's success in an election for King's Years, and houses will tend to vote for houses of the same religion. Burial Methods 'Nobles - '''Nobles are not buried as such, but put into crypts (traditionally caves that go beneath the water or into mountains). Their remains are sometimes burnt, as some believe the decay of the body slowly is a sign that the gods were not fond of them and would mean they would not be reincarnated. Each one of them would also be buried with a totem, to ensure that they reached the afterlife (or were reincarnated). '''Fighters -' Fighters are sent out to sea with their swords (either dropped in or sent out on a boat), so they may have a fighting chance when they reach the warrior's path. 'Commoners - '''Commoners are simply dumped into their town's pit, with no specific grave for one person; just a large burial mound. '''Traitors - '''When a traitor is executed, the head is swiftly taken to The Lake of the Lost. The Lake of the Lost is a lake (obviously) that lies in a glacial cave. The lake itself freezes over with a thin layer of ice rapidly, so traitors' heads are thrown into the waters where the ice should later secure them. This is done to prevent them from being reborn or going to the afterlife/Godlands. After Death '''Reincarnation -' It seems to believed by most that those of high status or great people are reborn as the being on their sigil (or something related to the thing on their sigil) to establish a stronger relationship with the gods for their house and for them personally. So for instance someone of Omelenor may be believed to be reincarnated in the form of a house. There are some cases in which family members of the deceased may search for a horse (our representative in this example) born on the day of the death. There's also the chance that a house representative animal may be particularly friendly to one of that house, and it is assumed that it is the reincarnation of a lost member. The last reincarnation would be to become one with a mountain (hence why there are crypts inside mountains) if you were one of true greatness. An alternate suggestion (for those not quite worthy enough to protect the dead as a mountain, and because there aren't many mountains) is that the last reincarnation is a star. When you look up into the night sky, the many great men and women of the past look upon you. 'The Afterlife -' Other Beliefs 'J'huru the Wandering God - '''A mainland belief that some follow lies around the story of a young grey-skinned god. An unmerciful killer that frees slaves, shedding blood and causing chaos in the process. '''The White Riders / The Reavers - ''The White Riders', black skinned and white robed creatures (some tales describing them as being bear-men with rotting flesh). They are said to hunt for the souls of man so they may torture this person for as many years as they had lived, as well as having a mere passion to kill. This belief has (mostly) been discarded by nobles, but those of lesser class (or sadists) tend to believe in them. It's regarded by non-believers that they were an organised, horrific tribe that painted their skin using coal and shaped their teeth into sharp pointy fangs. Torturers and executioners generally ask for the blessings (or curses) of the Reavers, to make sure that if they kill someone, that person is punished horribly for eternity. '''The Dark Star Order - '''A newer religious group. The people of the Order believe in a number of questionable and cultic traditions, such as the Dark Star being all knowing and all powerful entity. There is an actual 'Dark Star' which is visible in the sky at dawn and dusk; described by the followers of the Order as 'the beginning and the end'. Whether or not this statement refers to the day or the night is unknown to all, but it is a common saying among followers. The Dark Star itself is believed to be the herald of all that is good and just in the world, bringing life into existence and taking it away for a greater balance. This balance is controlled by different divisions, some believing more in order than chaos and others the polar opposite. The Shrouded Star followers believe that chaos is the way to most please the Dark Star's needs. They are known to burn the statues of other or 'false' heroes/deities of Sorland, as well as being known to attack any who they believe do not keep to their righteous path. They will carry out public executions and zealously condemn any who disagree with them. The Night Star followers believe that order is the only way to bring prosperity and unity among believers. They are more active in their search to preach the ideals of the Order as well as trying to convert others to the Order. Their power is focused more on protecting and helping the people as well as balancing out the madness brought about by their counterparts. As extreme as both sides of power are there are many who remain undivided; The masses who decide to uphold both of the values in balance and protect the best interests of the order as opposed to one denomination within. The Dark Star Order has been known to have its own military power as well, its soldiers trained depending on which side of the balance they support. Each side has its own ideals and military strategy depending on which side it supports; however neither sides have ever attacked eachother. This is due to the tight knit and almost overly zealous dislike of the other religions based in Sorland. The upper echelons of the order discourage any affiliations with the 'false truths' of the 'misguided' and frequently make displays of force to intimidate their opposition. In contrast to this, there is another side to the Order's military power and influential propaganda. They seek to bring warring houses to peace, to help the homeless and the starving, to protect the weak and innocent from harm and hunt down criminals. They do charitable work alongside their contributions to the welfare of the small-folk of Sorland (such as hiring peasants and wanderers to help with construction works for buildings damaged by war, and treating innocents and soldiers alike when times of plague or war fall upon the land). They also try their hand at trade, using lands owned by the order which are usually dedicated by a lord or king who follows its teachings to trade with the great houses and offer protection to business' with little or no force to protect them from outlaws. All in all, the Order are over zealous, religious fanatics who aim to bring unity so that peace, prosperity, charity and selflessness can be achieved.